2
Thesis During the 16 th to 18 th century a huge spike and eventual decline in witch hunts and trials occurred because of lack of education, economic gain for others, and new religious awareness; although an inevitable downward trend emerged due to a new understanding of the world, enactment of witchcraft acts, and secularization in society.

6
Quote from The Witch Bull “…give themselves over to devils male and female, and by their incantations, charms, and conjurings, and by other abominable superstitions and sortileges, offences, crimes, and misdeeds, ruin and cause to perish the offspring of women, the foal of animals, the products of the earth, the grapes of vines, and the fruits of trees, as well as men and women, cattle and flocks and herds and animals of every kind, vineyards also and orchards, meadows, pastures, harvests, grains and other fruits of the earth; that they afflict and torture with dire pains and anguish, both internal and external, these men, women, cattle, flocks, herds, and animals, and hinder men from begetting and women from conceiving, and prevent all consummation of marriage; that, moreover, they deny with sacrilegious lips the faith they received in holy baptism; and that, at the instigation of the enemy of mankind, they do not fear to commit and perpetrate many other abominable offences and crimes, at the risk of their own souls, to the insult of the divine majesty and to the pernicious example and scandal of multitudes.”

7
! Black Mass ! During the mass they act as his servers, chanting in g ruff, harsh, and tuneless voices. The Devil recites the Mass from the missal and preaches a sermon in which he says that they are not openly to acknowledge their belief in any other god than him, assuring them that it is he who will save and take them to paradise. - Salazar Documents http://books.google.com/books?id=DRWGZKmbwh8C&pg=PA120&lpg=PA120&dq=black+mass+%2B+persecutio n+of+witches&source=web&ots=yh- wRHgyIw&sig=i3PlgImhL7eD8NnEIssBFAdpOrg&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA120,M 1

10
Decline: Secularization in Society Dedication to state becomes more important than religion Europe’s rulers no longer need scapegoats to blame Social institutions are autonomous and secularized Return to old legal traditions New image of women no longer fit witch stereotype http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/before 1500/economy/pictures/farming.jpg

11
Conclusion The persecution of others has occurred for thousands of years, but from 1580 to 1750 a huge spike could be seen in the sheer number and brutality of the cases, trials, and hunts. Many historians agree that the rise in witchcraft can be attributed to religious change, the uninformed nature of the public and the greed of common townsfolk, while the decline can be credited to a better education in society, legislation against witchcraft persecution, and secularization in culture. At the time of the trials most of the public truly believed they were doing the right thing by exterminating the witches, but now as a culture looking back, it is a part of the past that most would like to forget, and all want to prevent from ever happening again in our modern world.